A wildfire sweeps east from the west end of Rowena, threatening homes in Rowena and on the crest above late Tuesday night, Aug. 5. Highway 30 was closed from approximately 6 miles east of The Dalles to Mosier at 10:14 p.m., and fire crews were staging at the Rowena exit of Highway 97. Law enforcement was evacuating residents late Wednesday night in Rowena and the ridge above.

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Fire forced the evacuation of seven homes in Rowena last night and the steep terrain, combined with high winds and expected high temperatures today, were ideal conditions for a big fire, an official said.
As of 9 a.m. this morning, Wednesday, Aug. 6, the fire was at around 200 acres and rapidly growing, said spokesman Justin de Ruyter with the Oregon State Fire Marshal incident command team.